UPSC Aspirant: Hi, I’m a UPSC candidate and I’m a bit baffled about choosing the optional topic. Can you assist me on how to pick an optional topic? Rau’s IAS: Sure, selecting an optional topic is the most vital choice a candidate needs to make in UPSC examination. The optional topic brings 500 marks out of an overall of 2025 marks, commanding 25% of the total rating. Plainly, your efficiency in the optional can have a significant influence on your general ranking. It is essential that you pick a topic in which you have real interest. UPSC Aspirant: That’s reasonable. Why is it needed to have an interest in the topic? What if I pick a topic in which I have no interest, however I am positive that I can score well in it? Rau’s IAS: See, the optional topic needs a great deal of effort and devotion. It is not something you can find out by rote memorization. You require to comprehend the principles and have the ability to evaluate them well. If you have an interest in the topic, it will make it much easier for you to put in the effort needed to study and discover it. If you do not have interest in the topic, you might discover it hard to remain determined and put in the requisite effort needed to do justice to the topic. This can result in burnout and can impact your general UPSC preparation. UPSC Aspirant: I see your point. What if I have interest in more than one topic? Rau’s IAS: That’s a legitimate issue. In such a case, I recommend you go through the curriculum of both the optional topics and evaluate which one interests you more. Furthermore, likewise go through the UPSC previous years’ concerns in those topics. That will provide you a concept of the kind of
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